What is a Mutual Exchange?
A Mutual Exchange occurs when a Secure or Assured tenant applies to their Local Authority landlord or Registered Provider to exchange their property with another Secure or Assured tenant.
Who is eligible?
There are certain conditions which must be met before the landlord will approve an application, which are detailed within the Mutual Exchange Policy and which are in accordance with the prevailing Housing Legislation.
How do I apply?
Please note Yorkshire Coast Homes and City of York Council are not currently participating in this scheme. If you are a tenant of one of these partners you have free registration with ‘Home Swapper’ at www.homeswapper.co.uk.
You can use this scheme if you are a tenant of one of the following partner landlords:
You do not need to have registered for Choice Based Lettings, all you have to do is go to www.northyorkshirehomechoice.org.uk and complete the ‘household registration’. Once submitted the system will then generate a Login number and following receipt of this you will be able to continue and complete the mutual exchange application. Select the link below which will guide you through this process:
After you have submitted your application it will be directed to your landlord for verification before it appears on the Website, this should take no longer than 5 working days to complete. Once it has been verified your advert will appear on the Website and in the newsletter.
How do I know if someone is interested in my property?
You will need to log into your account using your Login reference number and memorable date. Then select the tab on the left hand side ‘My Mutual Exchange’. This will show you your shortlist, which will list people who have expressed an interest in your property. Select the link below which will guide you through managing your shortlist.
How do I bid on a property I am interested in?
You will be able to view properties that match your requirements and express an interest (place a bid) on those you are interested in. There is no limit to the number of properties you can bid on.
You need to view all available properties through the North Yorkshire Home Choice Website and Mutual Exchange Properties, you can narrow your search by property type, number of bedrooms etc.
When you apply for a property your contact details will be passed to the current tenant. If they are interested in swopping it is their responsibility to contact you.
If you confirm the exchange (as per the guidance above), both adverts will be removed from the website and the details passed to the relevant landlord. Do not worry if the properties are in different areas, the relevant offices will make contact with each other to discuss the application.
Can an exchange be refused?
Yes, there are certain grounds where your landlord can refuse to give you permission to exchange if it does not meet a number of conditions. These grounds are set out in the ‘Mutual Exchange Policy’.
If your application is approved your landlord will contact you to arrange to sign the necessary paperwork. Your landlord must respond to your application within 42 days.